A big day in Dutch motocross history, as Jeffrey Herlings and Kay De Wolf gave the fans one of the all-time Dutch battles. Paul Malin said it well when he mentioned it was the battle of Arnhem, and as we all know, that little city in the centre of The Netherlands has seen some big battles in the past. Here are the riders comments from The Battle of Arnhem.

Bavo Swijgers image

Jeffrey Herlings: I definitely had to work today in both races. It was tough out there, but I got the job done and it was really great to win this 17th home GP. It’s been a stressful weekend, with all the fans, the media, all the sponsors but to take the victory is what we are all about. The team have been working extremely hard and the bike was great all weekend so we’re just in a really good place right now. Obviously the championship is close now, so we just want to keep doing what we’re doing and try to finish the job off in Turkey.

Kay de Wolf: “I gave it everything and a little bit more today. I’m really pleased with the performance and to be able to battle Jeffrey like that. A few weeks ago I was 40 seconds behind, and today I was fighting with him until the second-to-last lap, so that shows how much progress we’ve made. Of course, the crash in the second race was a shame, but overall it was an amazing weekend, especially here at home. The Dutch fans were incredible, and I definitely wanted to put on a show for them. I’ll always give everything for the Dutch fans and for my country. A massive thanks to the whole team as well - we’ll keep working and I’m looking forward to the next few rounds.”

Tom Vialle: It’s amazing to be on the podium here, because in the first session of the weekend I was off the pace but every time I got on the track, I improved and I think it shows the work we’ve done to be standing on the box next to Jeffrey. This track is a lot different that Lommel, and initially I couldn’t get to grips with it, but I kept working and it’s great to be up here and to make the podium a regular place.

Camden McLellan: “That was another awesome weekend. I had a really good start in the first race, my riding was strong, and I really enjoyed the race. In the second moto, my start wasn’t quite as good and the track was very difficult to pass on, so I had to put in a strong charge to get into second. From there, it was a one-on-one battle all the way to the end and I had a lot of fun. Like I said, it was another really enjoyable weekend with some close, fast racing, so I’m really happy with how everything went.”

Guillem Farres: “I’m happy with my performance, especially after the crash last weekend. I felt consistent in both races and it was good to put together a solid weekend and take home some valuable points. I felt comfortable on the bike and we made some good progress throughout the weekend. A big thanks to the whole team for all their hard work and support. Now we’ll keep working, keep building, and look to carry this consistency into the next round.”

Liam Everts: “Yeah, it was a very positive weekend. Winning the quali race and then taking a moto win was really good. I messed up my start a little in the first moto, which left me chasing from around ninth, but I worked my way back to fourth. It was still a solid moto and I was feeling really good on the bike. In the second moto I got a good start behind Längenfelder, managed to get around him straight away and led from there. It was a really tough race – Farres was pushing me in the beginning, then Sacha came on strong, and at the end I had Camden putting the pressure on as well. It was a challenge, but I stood my ground and to take the moto win like that was definitely one of the nicest wins of my career. Overall, it was a really positive weekend, especially with my riding and the feeling I had on the bike. That’s where I feel I belong and where I know I can be, so it was a big confidence boost again.”

Tim Gajser: “The track was really rough, but I felt that I was riding pretty well. Herlings and de Wolf were on another level, but that was to be expected. I finished a good third in the first race. In the second race, it took me a few laps to find my rhythm. Once I passed Vialle, I felt really good in third. But then, out of nowhere, I made a mistake on the waves and had a big crash. I’m feeling pretty beaten up now. Thankfully, we have a weekend off. I’ll use that time to recover and get myself ready for the final three GPs.”

Andrea Adamo: “I’m not too happy. I didn’t have the best feeling on the track from this morning and, honestly, I expected a bit more today, especially after the first moto I was in a pretty decent spot to play for an eventual podium. I went into the second moto confident and had a really good jump out of the gate but I got squeezed and lost some positions. The rest of the moto was a bit of a struggle. Still, 5-6 on a tricky day in the sand and with the 450 I guess is pretty decent. I know these tracks but to race them with the 450 is different and still quite new. 6th was good…but I wanted more.”

Sacha Coenen: “I’m disappointed. I was 1st in the first moto until the tip off and then had a bad start in the second. I was around P5-P6 and made some good passes. I feel some riders were a bit dirty…so I think I will show them how to ride in Turkey because it was a bit dangerous. I just need to keep my head up.”

Romain Febvre: "Somebody hit me on my elbow at the first turn of race one; I could come back to tenth at the finish but I was in pain all moto. I just couldn't find my rhythm at the beginning of race two; at the end I was getting better but the gap was too big to the guys just ahead of me. I was not on the pace of those at the very front, but neither was anybody else. Anyway, I now have a weekend off from racing; it's the first for a long time and then I will be ready for the last three rounds."

Karlis Reisulis: It was an okay day. I wasn’t really feeling like myself on the bike and struggled a little bit to find the right feeling. The team did everything they could, but I think it was also a little bit from my side and I found it difficult to put everything together. At least the second moto was great. I was in fifth position and felt strong towards the end, so it was good to finish the weekend on a positive note. Top five overall is good, and now it’s onto Turkiye.

Janis Reisulis: It wasn’t a bad day. I was really happy with Free Practice, Time Practice, and the Warm-up as I was the fastest in each of those sessions, so I knew I had the speed. But this is the kind of track where speed alone isn’t enough. I was struggling a little with tightness in my back and also with my energy towards the end of the second moto. It’s not an injury; it’s more from having to stand up for almost the whole race and deal with every single bump. It’s my first full season in MX2, so it’s understandable that the more experienced guys have an advantage, but I gave it everything. The team did a really great job with the bike, so a big thanks to them, all the fans, and of course my family. Now I’ll work on a few things and look forward to Turkiye.

Pauls Jonass: "Not an easy day. I was riding better in the second moto but I started further back; in the first moto I was fighting the track all moto and just didn't have the flow. But it all started with the poor gate-pick from yesterday; I got good jumps out of the gate but I was just too far outside to take the starts. Ninth overall doesn't look too bad butit's not where we want to be; we will keep working to be better through the last three GPs."

Kay Karssemakers: "I felt good yesterday in Timed Practice, really close to the top-five and Qualifying was also going well in sixth until I had a problem and DNF so I had last gate-pick for Sunday. I tried to go outside at the first start and went off the track but I was already back to thirteenth when I collided with another rider on the first lap, went into the fence and broke off the clutch lever. I got a pretty good start in the second race but I soon had really bad arm pump and had to drop back. Four or five laps from the end I got rid of the arm pump and could push again for ninth, but this wasn't what I wanted for my home GP when I know I had the speed for much more."

Simon Laengenfelder: “I was off the pace today. Maybe not risking enough or was just a bit too slow. I tried my best. I got the holeshot in the second moto and thought I could take some momentum…but the others outpaced me and I just had to settle for 6th. It was a difficult GP. I would like to turn some things around for these final few races but I also feel like I have tried every trick in the book to better my positions. You never know what will happen in these next GPs so I will keep trying to do my best.”

Rubén Fernández: Proud of my effort today, although disappointed not to be able to finish off both races as well as I would have liked. I really feel like my sand riding has improved a lot this year and I wanted to show that again this weekend and I think I was doing a good job. Just a couple of mistakes, which was very easy to do on this track. Big thanks for the help I got to be able to race in the second moto, and now the aim to rest up and get ready for Turkey.

Maxime Renaux: “I wasn’t really able to ride during the past week after my crash and injury in Sweden. Despite the pain, I was able to ride this weekend, but unfortunately I crashed in the first race. I’m mainly glad that I didn’t suffer any serious injury. Still, we decided not to line up for the second race. We chose not to take any risks, go home, get some treatment and then see what we can do for the final races of the season. It was another tough weekend. I gave everything I had and did everything I could, but unfortunately it wasn’t enough.”

Valerio Lata: Very happy with my riding after what has been a tough period. It would have been great to have finished off with a five-five but I couldn’t quite make that happen so I have to be happy with the five-eight. A big thanks to the team for all their work, and it feels good to ride like I know I can here and prove I can do well on sand.

Francisco Garcia: "I was a little disappointed with myself yesterday, not only with my speed but also with the games I was playing on the track, but nobody could realise what I have been going through these last few weeks after my injury. I had hoped I could be a little more relaxed today and go for the win with the title already in my pocket but it was another really difficult race for me physically in the sand and I had to settle for second again. I will go to see my doctor tomorrow to see if I can even race the final round in Turkey now I am already confirmed as champion. I am proud that I could clinch the title this weekend for myself, Bud Rcing and Kawasaki and now I want to focus on being ready for my move to the MX2 GPs with KRT next year."